Blanket That Keeps A Person&#39;s Body Cool In The Hot Sun Complete With Matching Bag

ABSTRACT

A cooling mat having a top sheet of a glossy vinyl material, a bottom sheet of a glossy vinyl material attached to the top sheet to provide a mat having a cavity located between the top and bottom sheets of glossy vinyl and a water/gel mixture located in the cavity between the top and bottom sheets of glossy vinyl. A cap and nozzle assembly is located on the top sheet of glossy vinyl material for passing the water/gel mixture into the cavity and fabric edging is located around the perimeter of the mat.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application

No. 61/219,519 filed on Jun. 23, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooling mat for helping to maintain a person's body cool while lying on a beach in the hot sun where the mat has a cavity which contains a water/gel mixture which, when frozen, is a pliable solid which can conform to contoured surfaces of the human body.

2. Description of Related Art

Blankets and body wraps for cooling a persons body are known in the prior art. More specifically, by way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,354 to Tolbert discloses a cooling blanket having multiple pockets which contain a heat sink which is either a thermoelectric cooling unit or a cold pack.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,487 to Turner discloses a flexible wrap having a thermal pack which contains a liquid and filler particles which, when frozen, is pliable which can conform to a person's body.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,455 to St. Ours discloses a shield in the form of a blanket having a pocket which receives replaceable packets of refreezable gel material which absorbs heat as the material melts.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,319 to Tobin discloses a wrap around headband with a tube of plastic sheet material filled with refrigerant gel. The tube is covered on the outside with a nonabsorbent and nonporous foam which meters heat transfer from the refrigerant gel to the skin of the wearer.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,433 to Cahn, et al. discloses a blanket having internal ducts through which a foam is circulated as a cooling fluid where the inside of the blanket facing the person being cooled is maintained at a temperature slightly below body temperature, while the outside of the blanket is insulated to minimize heat exchange with the environment.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,729 to Roney discloses a cuff which is located on a person's wrist which has a flexible sealed envelope filled with a cold gel in an inner condensation-controlling and insulating fabric case located within an outer case of impermeable material.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,566 to Abare discloses a body wrap which has a pocket for a hot or cold pack, such as an ice bag

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a cooling mat having a top sheet of a glossy vinyl material, a bottom sheet of a glossy vinyl material attached to the top sheet to provide a mat having a cavity located between the top and bottom sheets of glossy vinyl and a water/gel mixture located in the cavity between the top and bottom sheets of glossy vinyl. The top and bottom sheets of vinyl are coated or impregnated with an ingredient or a material having anti bacterial properties. A cap and nozzle assembly is located on the top sheet of glossy vinyl material for passing the water/gel mixture into the cavity and fabric edging is located around the perimeter of the mat.

The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a small blanket or mat filled with a gel solution which, when cold, is used to keep a person cool while lying on the beach on a hot sunny day in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a large blanket or mat filled with a gel solution which, when cold, is used to keep two people cool while they lay on the beach on a hot sunny day in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blanket or mat with the cap removed from the nozzle prior to being filled with a water/gel mixture and being chilled in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the small blanket or mat folded and being located in a matching small tote bag;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the small blanket or mat located in the small tote bag where the small blanket or mat is shown in phantom;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the large blanket located in the large tote bag where the blanket is shown in phantom; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the description which follows the various parts of the invention are assigned reference numerals which designate specific parts as follows:

-   -   11 Small mat;     -   12 Large mat;     -   13 fabric edging;     -   14 cap and nozzle assembly;     -   15 nozzle;     -   16 cap;     -   17 clear glossy vinyl;     -   18 person;     -   19 water/gel mixture;     -   20 small tote;     -   21 draw string tabs;     -   22 large tote;     -   23 insulating fabric on bottom of tote;     -   24 draw strings.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is disclosed a top view of a small blanket or mat 11 filled with a water/gel mixture or its equivalent which has been frozen and is used to keep a person 18 cool while lying on the beach on a hot sunny day.

The mat has a length and width which is sufficient to allows a person to lay on the mat without having any part of his/her body extend beyond an edge of the mat and touch the ground such as sand on a beach. In one embodiment the small mat 11 has a length of between six feet and seven feet, more or less, and a width of between two feet six inches and three feet, more or less. The top and bottom surfaces 17 of the mat can be composed of a clear glossy vinyl plastic which is water resistant and reflects sun light. The edges of the top and bottom sheets are sealed together with an adhesive such as an epoxy or with heat to provide a leak proof cavity therebetween, and a decorative edging of fabric is folded over the top, bottom and side edges of the mat to completely encircle the perimeter of the mat. The fabric edge can be attached to the vinyl with a pressure sensitive adhesive or a heat sensitive adhesive, either of which avoids compromising the water tight integrity of the mat by not puncturing the top and/or bottom sheets of vinyl. Located at a corner of the mat on the top sheet of vinyl is a cap and nozzle assembly 14 which is provided to allow a water/gel mixture 19 to be poured into the cavity between the top and bottom sheets of vinyl.

The water/gel mixture is a freezable liquid composition which is an aqueous solution which, on being frozen, forms a pliable solid material such as a jelly like material or a slush type of material that can be manually formed to the contours of selected portions of the human body. An example of such a material 19 which can be placed in the cavity between the top and bottom vinyl sheets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,487 where the liquid composition includes water, a gum, an anti-fungal preservative, and a lubricant-like substance which helps prevent frozen water crystals from interlocking to form a solid mass. The composition can also include solid particulate which is not soluble in the liquid portion of the composition.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is disclosed a top view of another embodiment where the blanket or mat 11 is sized to accommodate two persons and the mat is filled with a water/gel mixture or its equivalent which has been frozen and is used to keep the two persons 18 on the mat cool while lying on the beach on a hot sunny day.

The large mat 12 has a length and width which is sufficient to allows two persons to lay on the mat without having any part of their bodies being over an edge of the mat and touching the ground such as sand at a beach. In this embodiment the large mat 12 has a length of between six feet and seven feet, more or less, and a width of between five feet and seven feet, more or less. The top and bottom sheets 17 of the mat can be composed of clear glossy vinyl plastic which are water resistant and reflects sun light. The edges of the top and bottom vinyl sheets of the mat are sealed with an adhesive such as an epoxy or with heat to provide a leak proof seam, and a decorative edging of fabric is folded over the edge of the mat, and completely encircles the perimeter of the mat. The fabric edge can be attached to the top and bottom sheets of vinyl with a pressure sensitive adhesive or a heat sensitive adhesive, either of which avoids compromising the water tight integrity of the mat by not puncturing the top and/or bottom sheets of vinyl. Located at the lower left corner of the mat on the top sheet of vinyl is a cap and nozzle assembly 14 which is provided to allow a water/gel mixture 19 to be poured into the cavity between the sheets of vinyl.

The water/gel mixture is a freezable liquid composition which is an aqueous solution which, on being frozen, forms a pliable solid material such as a jelly like material or a slush type of material that can be manually formed to the contours of selected portions of the human body. An example of such a material 19 which can be placed in the cavity between the top and bottom vinyl sheets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,487 where the liquid composition includes water, a gum, an anti-fungal preservative, and a lubricant-like substance which helps prevent frozen water crystals from interlocking to form a solid mass. The composition can also include solid particulate which is not soluble in the liquid portion of the composition.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of the mat of FIG. 1 with the cap removed from the nozzle to allow a water/gel mixture to be poured into the cavity between the top and bottom sheets of clear glossy vinyl. The cap can be connected to the nozzle with a connecting member such as a plastic strip or string which prevents the cap from getting lost. The cap, when placed on the nozzle forms a leak resistant connection which prevents the mixture between the top and bottom sheets of vinyl from leaking out.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3. In this view the water/gel mixture is located in the cavity between the top and bottom sheets of vinyl and the cap 16 is securely attached to the nozzle 15. The detail of the fabric edging 13 attached to the edge of the mat is also shown.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a perspective view of the small blanket or mat folded and being placed into a matching small tote bag. When the small mat 11 is to be stored, it is folded along its length and width, is placed into the small tote bag 20 and, by pulling on the draw string tabs 21, the draw strings close the top of the tote bag (see FIG. 6). After the top of the bag 20 is closed, the draw string tabs can be used to keep the top of the bag closed.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective view of the small blanket or mat located in the small tote bag where the small blanket or mat is shown in phantom. The small tote bag 20 has an outer tubular layer of clear glossy vinyl 17 and an inner tubular layer of clear glossy vinyl 17 where the space between the two tubular layers forms a cavity for receiving a water/gel mixture 19. The top edge of the inner and outer tubular layers are joined with an adhesive or by heat to form a leak proof seam, and a decorative edging of fabric is folded over the top edge of the tote bag, and completely encircles the top edge. The decorative fabric edge can be attached to the inner and outer tubular layers of vinyl with a pressure sensitive adhesive or a heat sensitive adhesive, either of which avoids compromising the water tight integrity of the edge by not puncturing the inner and/or outer tubular layers of vinyl. In a similar manner the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular layers are joined with an adhesive or by heat to form a leak proof seam and a circular piece of insulated fabric 23 is attached to the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular layers to provide a bottom for the tote bag. A decorative edging of fabric is folded over the bottom edge of the tote bag. The decorative fabric edge can be attached to the fabric 23 with an adhesive or stitching and to the outer tubular layer of vinyl with a pressure sensitive adhesive or a heat sensitive adhesive, either of which avoids compromising the water tight integrity of the edge by not puncturing the outer tubular layer of vinyl. A cap and nozzle assembly 14 can be located about three inches, more or less above the bottom of the bag for pouring a water/gel mixture 19 into the cavity between the inner and outer tubular layers of vinyl. The water/gel mixture is a freezable liquid composition which is an aqueous solution which, on being frozen, forms a pliable solid material such as a jelly like material or a slush type of material that can be manually formed and is similar in composition to the mixture that is in the small mat 11.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a sectional view along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5. The inner and outer tubular layers of vinyl can be formed by bending a sheet of vinyl around a cylindrical member and joining opposing side edges of the sheet with an adhesive or heat. To insure that the opposing side edges are leak proof and structurally strong, the side edges are positioned to have a lap seam.

Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown a perspective view of the large mat embodiment where the large mat 12, which is shown in phantom, is located in the large tote bag 22; and FIG. 9 which is a sectional view along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

The large tote bag 22 has an outer tubular layer of clear glossy vinyl 17 and an inner tubular layer of clear glossy vinyl 17 where the space between the two tubular layers form a cavity for receiving a water/gel mixture 19. The top edge of the inner and outer tubular layers are joined with an adhesive or by heat to form a leak proof seam, and a decorative edging of fabric is folded over the top edge of the tote bag, and completely encircles the top edge. The decorative fabric edge can be attached to the inner and outer tubular layers of vinyl with a pressure sensitive adhesive or a heat sensitive adhesive, either of which avoids compromising the water tight integrity of the edge by not puncturing the inner and/or outer tubular layers of vinyl. In a similar manner the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular layers are joined with an adhesive or by heat to form a leak proof seam and a circular piece of insulated fabric 23 is attached to the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular layers with a fabric edging 13 which provides a bottom for the tote bag. A decorative edging of fabric 13 is folded over the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular layers and the edge of the insulated layer 23 of the tote bag 22. The decorative fabric edge can be attached to the fabric 23 with an adhesive or stitching and to the outer tubular layer of vinyl with a pressure sensitive adhesive or a heat sensitive adhesive, either of which avoids compromising the water tight integrity of the edge by not puncturing the outer tubular layer of vinyl. A second insulated layer 23 can be placed under the first insulated layer and the portion of the fabric edging which is attached to the first insulated layer to provide additional insulation. A cap and nozzle assembly 14 can be located about three inches, more or less, up from the bottom of the tote bag for passing a water/gel mixture 19 into the cavity between the inner and outer tubular layers of vinyl. The water/gel mixture is a freezable liquid composition which is an aqueous solution which, on being frozen, forms a pliable solid material such as a jelly like material or a slush type of material that can be manually formed and is similar in composition to the mixture that is in the large mat 12.

Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown a sectional view along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8. The inner and outer tubular layers of vinyl can be formed by bending a sheet of vinyl around a cylindrical member and joining opposing side edges of the sheet with an adhesive or with heat. To insure that the opposing side edges are leak proof and structurally strong, the side edges are positioned to have a lap seam. The bottom layer of insulated fabric can be attached to the upper layer of insulated fabric and the bottom of the fabric edging 13 with an adhesive such as an epoxy.

In use, the blanket or mat disclosed in combination with the insulated tote bag which is used to keep the mat cold as it is being carried to the place of use such as a beach will keep a person's body cool in the hot sun. Prior to going to the beach the blanket or mat is removed from its tote bag and placed in a freezer until the gel in the mat freezes. To insure that the gel in the mat will stay frozen while being carried to the beach, the tote bag can also be placed into the freezer until its gel is frozen. When the gel in the mat and in the tote bag is frozen, they are removed from the freezer and the mat is placed into the tote bag. For longer use, the tote bag can be placed into an insulated beach chest. When at the beach, the tote bag is removed from the insulated beach chest and the mat is removed from the tote bag and spread it out on the beach. The mat is now ready for use and will allow a person or persons to enjoy a cooler more enjoyable hot sunny beach day while relaxing on the cool mat.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled. 

1. A cooling mat comprising: a top sheet of a glossy vinyl material; a bottom sheet of a glossy vinyl material attached to the top sheet to provide a mat having a cavity located between the top and bottom sheets of glossy vinyl; a water/gel mixture located in the cavity[ a cap and nozzle assembly located on the top sheet of glossy vinyl material for passing the water/gel mixture into the cavity; and fabric edging located around the perimeter of the mat.
 2. The cooling mat of claim 1 removably stored in a tote bag, the tote bag comprising: an inner tubular sheet of glossy vinyl; an outer tubular sheet of glossy vinyl attached to the inner tubular sheet to form a cavity therebetween; and a water/gel mixture located in the cavity
 3. The cooling mat of claim 2 wherein the cavity in the mat is leak resistant.
 4. The cooling mat of claim 3 wherein the fabric edging located around the perimeter of the mat is attached to the top and bottom sheets of glossy vinyl with an adhesive or with heat.
 5. The cooling mat of claim 4 wherein the glossy vinyl material of the top and bottom sheets are clear.
 6. The cooling mat of claim 2 wherein the tote bag includes a cap and nozzle assembly in the outer tubular sheet for passing the water/gel mixture into the cavity between the inner and outer tubular sheets of glossy vinyl.
 7. The cooling mat of claim 6 wherein the inner and outer tubular sheets of glossy vinyl of the tote bag are clear.
 8. The cooling mat of claim 7 wherein the cavity between the inner and outer tubular sheets is leak resistant.
 9. The cooling mat of claim 8 wherein a disc of insulated fabric is attached to the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular sheets to provide a bottom for the tote bag.
 10. The cooling mat of claim 9 wherein the disc of insulated fabric is attached to the bottom edge of the inner and outer tubular sheets with an adhesive.
 11. The cooling mat of claim 10 wherein fabric edging is attached to the top edge of the inner and outer tubular sheets of the tote bag.
 12. The cooling mat of claim 11 wherein the edging is attached to the top edge of the inner and outer tubular sheets of the tote bag with an adhesive or with heat.
 13. The cooling mat of claim 1 wherein the mat has a length of between six feet and seven feet, and a width of between two feet six inches and three feet.
 14. The cooling mat of claim 1 wherein the mat has a length of between six feet and seven feet, and a width of between five feet and seven feet.
 15. The cooling mat of claim 2 wherein the mat has a length of between six feet and seven feet, and a width of between two feet six inches and three feet.
 16. The cooling mat of claim 2 wherein the mat has a length of between six feet and seven feet, and a width of between five feet and seven feet. 